Tambopata

Wisely called the “World Capital of Biodiversity”, the city of Puerto Maldonado is the base of operations for some of the most intense experiences a traveler can have while in Peru. An excellent way of having contact with the Amazon jungle and a stone’s throw away from Cusco by airplane.

Puerto Maldonado is a small city, yet one on the move. It is located at the meeting point of two large rivers: the Tambopata and the Madre de Dios. Three decades ago, it was a tiny town of explorers and adventure seekers, but almost nothing of that reality remains. Today, the city is developing at a rapid pace due to two, seemingly irreconcilable extremes: the unsystematic flow of foreign currency coming from informal mining, stimulated by the exaggerated price of gold (and primary reason for the unprecedented environmental catastrophe happening in the Colorado region) and the success of ecotourism in the jungles of the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park and the Tambopata National Reserve, both next to the city.

In spite of that situation, Puerto Maldonado – or simply Maldonado as its residents call it – is the departure point for enjoying unforgettable experiences in some of the most diverse and best preserved forests on Earth.